“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3). This Sunday is the day we have set aside for the honoring of our mother’s. There is a reason why it is the second Sunday in May. It is for a very tender reason; Anna Marie Jarvis wanted to remember her mother who had passed from this life on the second Sunday in May 1905. It was to remember her mother, Ann Jarvis. Mother’s day was officially celebrated for the first time in the United States in 1908. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation stating that the second Sunday in May would be celebrated as Mother’s Day, giving honor to all mothers.
Mothers are very special to us for many reasons. They took care of us when we were sick. They cradled us in their arms and soothed us with the soft voice when we did not feel well. Mother’s washed and ironed our clothes. They told us that we may not have much but we will have clean clothes. In some cases they made our clothes. My mother made me a sport coat and I got to pick out the buttons. I was very proud of it. I wore it to work one day and the boss made some remarks about the coat. Then I said it was made by my mother. He made a quick change. He understood, for some reason, that they were not easy to make and then to be made by a mother, he was treading on very thin ice. Mother’s made sure that our faces and hands were clean. This statement comes from the past, “we may not have much, but we can be clean.” For mothers of little boys this alone is a full time job. I think mother’s spit can clean any dirt from any where in the world! Mother’s made sure that the parts in our hair were neat and straight.
Our mothers may have been our first teachers of biblical truths. Paul wrote to Timothy, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in they grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (2 Timothy 1:5). Further Paul said, “And that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Many a mother has followed the example of these two wonderful mothers. Many mothers have sat down and taught their babies songs like, “This little Christian light of mine” or “Jesus loves me.” What wonderful memories!
Our mother’s love us. This love is manifested in many ways. One is that she made us do what was right. She loved us enough to teach us how to treat others. She taught us to respect others and their property. Even when we did not what was right she love us. When she was mad at us for doing something, she loved us. When we did something right she loved us then too. A mother’s love is strong!
Mother’s bring out the strongest emotions in us because it is rooted in love. Notice how one daughter-in-law felt about her mother-in-law, “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and they God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part me and thee” (Ruth 1:16-17). This is a strong love to make this kind of statement. We all need to have this kind of love not only for our mother’s but also for our mother’s-in-law.
Let us on the second Sunday in May tell our mother’s we love them and also thank them for being our mothers.
Love, Keith
